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00:00Yes, thank you so much for meeting me here.
00:03I just have to say, I'm absolutely ravaging you, look.
00:06Will you marry me?
00:09Will you?
00:10Phil!
00:11It's London and the South East, and the chefs are up.
00:14Come on, come on.
00:14I'm just...
00:16Sorry about that.
00:19Josh from Kent and Abby from London are competing
00:22to represent London and the South East at finals,
00:25with acting legend Simon Callow in the chamber,
00:27who can deliver the most flawless performance.
00:47Two of us left.
00:48I know.
00:49Big kitchen now, isn't it?
00:50I wasn't sure I'd be one of the two, but here we are.
00:52Loading space.
00:53Yeah, I've got loads more space, so it's going to be a big day, isn't it?
00:55That's it, yeah.
00:56All right, good luck.
00:56Good luck.
00:58Although Josh is head chef at a two Michelin-style restaurant,
01:02he's had a battle on his hands against underdog Abby.
01:05Yay!
01:07Oh, yucka!
01:08Yes!
01:09As first-timers in the kitchen,
01:11neither have had the smoothest of weeks.
01:13I burn this every time.
01:15This should have been on there.
01:17But despite that, both have cooked some imaginative dishes
01:21with superb storytelling, nailing this year's movie theme.
01:53Oh, it worked.
01:55Mentor chef Akhtar Islam offered plenty of feedback.
01:59You've chosen the wrong apple.
02:00You need to go with a granny smith.
02:03Abby finished just two points behind Josh.
02:05Will she heed Akhtar's advice, close the gap, and secure a spot in the finals?
02:10I just want to make all the little changes that Akhtar suggested.
02:13I really want to win.
02:16To beat Abby, I just need to stay focused, execute everything perfectly, and stay happy.
02:22Today's winner will have the highest total after the menus are scored by chefs Tom and Lorna
02:27and new judge Phil Wang, as well as our guest, actor Simon Callow.
02:32Three, two, one.
02:35Oh!
02:38Good morning, chefs.
02:40Morning.
02:41Hey.
02:41Congratulations for making it through the week.
02:43It was quite a tricky week.
02:45Today is judging day.
02:47The slate is wiped completely clean.
02:50I cannot tell you how fast today goes.
02:53So if you think that you were under pressure in the week,
02:56today, take that and times it by at least five.
02:59Okay?
03:00Thank you, Andy.
03:01Thank you very much.
03:03Woo!
03:07Let's get this reduction on, my parfait, so I can get it set in time for my canapé.
03:14So, this is my ingredients for my demi-glaze.
03:18So, Akhtar suggested doing a sauce to go with the Jerusalem artichokes.
03:22I'm going to listen to the two-mitchell and star, Chef.
03:27Our head judge is Tom Kerridge.
03:30He's an acclaimed chef, an influential spokesperson for the hospitality industry,
03:34as well as a double-banquet main course winner.
03:38Two new chefs from London and the southeast,
03:40which has always been a traditionally strong region of cooking.
03:44I hope that they can keep that up,
03:46but sometimes that Great British Menu kitchen does catch you out if it's your first time.
03:51How are we?
03:51Incredibly good to see you.
03:53Four plates.
03:53You need to never drink.
03:54Pints and pints of beer.
03:56Joining Tom in the chamber is our brand-new judge, a self-confessed glutton.
04:01It's stand-up comedian Phil Wang.
04:04It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.
04:07Keep it all.
04:08Also taking a seat at the judging table is a pioneering chef,
04:13the first woman to win Great British Menu Champion of Champions
04:16and the only woman to hold a Michelin star in Scotland, Lorna McNeigh.
04:22I think this region's going to be really strong this week.
04:25They've got high expectations.
04:27They've got so much film that they can relate to within that region
04:30and lots of produce too.
04:35So really important to get this fish prep nice and early
04:38because fish cookery is my weakness, to be fair.
04:42Nature's xylophone.
04:44So the chicken liver parfait, the recipe is exactly the same for the parfait itself.
04:50Just getting it on nice and early.
04:52Tom Kerridge, allergic to shellfish, so for my fish cook course,
04:56I'm going to be serving him poached Dover salt, poached in butter.
05:03Tangy.
05:06Hello, love.
05:07Good morning, look at that.
05:08I know, I don't do that often, do I?
05:10No croissants, no biscuits?
05:11No, darling.
05:12OK.
05:12How's this week been?
05:14They did well at times, but they certainly found it quite challenging in that kitchen.
05:19Right, OK.
05:19And these are very accomplished chefs.
05:21These are chefs who have a very high skill set.
05:24Who was mentor this week?
05:24So the mentor veteran this week was Akhtar Islam.
05:27Right, OK.
05:28And they could not have asked for a better mentor
05:31because he's so brilliant at helping chefs evolve their dishes.
05:35OK, so you're hoping that they're going to take on a lot of the feedback that Akhtar has given them?
05:39All of it.
05:40Great.
05:40There's some really excellent connections to the brief and some very funny moments.
05:45Good, because I like the laugh.
05:46Do you?
05:47Yeah.
05:47I've never noticed that about you.
05:50Miserable.
05:53Now we're edging towards the end of the heats.
05:56Remember, Tom and I have a wild card, which will decide at the end, should a losing chef cook a
06:02course we want to see again in the finals.
06:08So these are whole gruesome arse shakes that I'm just going to basically gently roast until it's time to go
06:13on the starter.
06:13This is an addition for my dessert, which is a Jamaican ginger cake.
06:20So in the pan there's dark, soft brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup.
06:25This is the roasted fish bones for my fish sauce, which is a new addition to the fish course.
06:31Yes.
06:32Morning, Tom.
06:33Good morning.
06:34Good morning.
06:34That's a very nice outfit.
06:36Nice.
06:36Brings up my eyes.
06:37How are you, Phil?
06:38Good.
06:38You're looking cosy.
06:39Feels like I should have a pipe.
06:41And a big menu.
06:43Andy has said it's been an eventful week.
06:45Some events good, some events bad.
06:47Really?
06:47Yes, it sounds quite euphemistic.
06:49I think there's some great chefs, some good cooking, but I think they've needed the help of Akhtar this week
06:54to be able to kind of push them on their way.
06:56I'm surprised by that. I thought it would have been really, really strong.
06:59Well, there is huge potential.
07:05So Josh, how do you feel about cooking for two Michelin star Tom Kerridge?
07:09I'm looking forward to it.
07:10Yeah?
07:11It's nice to cook for respected professionals in our industry, right?
07:15Yeah, definitely.
07:17OK.
07:19The shmooze.
07:20Cheated it, mate.
07:22Our guest judge today is a British icon of stage and film.
07:26It's actor Simon Callow, CBE.
07:29Making his stage debut in 1973, he went on to star in Shakespeare in Love, A Room With A View
07:35and Four Welles in A Funeral, amongst many other box office smashes.
07:40Hello.
07:41Please jump in, take a seat.
07:43And get ready for a feast.
07:44All right.
07:46Big food fan?
07:47Oh, terminally.
07:50Do you cook a lot at home?
07:52I cook tentatively.
07:55My husband, Sebastian, cooks brilliantly.
07:57Right.
07:58So I am a supporting cast.
08:00But I do cook certain things.
08:01Peruvian chicken, for example.
08:03Oh, nice.
08:03Very lovely.
08:04It's a 24-hour marinade job.
08:06Yeah.
08:06It becomes incredibly lush.
08:08But I go to many, many, many restaurants, and I'm always astounded at the inventiveness of people, with the same
08:17basic ingredients.
08:17But it's a wonderful and very expensive thing.
08:25She's back with the rice crackers.
08:27Josh, mate, stand back.
08:29What is 0.2% of 2,000?
08:32I think it's cheating if you use a smart watch in the kitchen.
08:35Four.
08:37With their prep in hand.
08:39Oh, yeah.
08:41Abby and Josh turn their attention to the canapé.
08:44So this is full of it pastry.
08:46In the heat, Josh had a nightmare with his tuiles, so he's changed the recipe.
08:51I'm just going to brush full of it pastry with some butter, cut them out and bake them as little
08:56tarts.
08:58Simon, you've been in many iconic British films.
09:01Is there a role that you are particularly fond of that you've taken on?
09:06It's hard to beat Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
09:10I mean, I was so thrilled that I got the screenplay, and it said Four Weddings and a Funeral.
09:15And I said to the person I was sitting with on a plane, I bet I'm the funeral.
09:21So I was.
09:22Wow.
09:23There's a great appetite in the British public for my death.
09:26I've died in many, many, many things.
09:29But no, never quite as gracefully as Gareth.
09:35Ready on your canapé?
09:36Yeah, just finishing off the crab mix and then good to go.
09:40Nice.
09:41Abby's canapé is crab with yuzu aioli and pickled radish on a black rice cracker.
09:48You hoping to have a bit of a better time with your canapé this time round?
09:51You can't have a worse time, can you, really?
09:54Whereas Josh's is chicken liver parfait with a licorice puree served in the new tart case.
10:01Ah!
10:03All right, my darlings.
10:04It's lights, camera, action in four minutes' time.
10:09Abby starts by crinelling her crab chilli and yuzu mix served on the black rice cracker.
10:15Oh, stop shocking, Abby.
10:19You have one minute to the pass, Chefs.
10:22Are you going to need an extra minute and get it up properly?
10:24Yeah, one minute would be good.
10:26Josh fills the tart cases with liver parfait, then tops with twill shards.
10:32You're one minute over.
10:33Want some marigolds on the pot?
10:35Yes, please.
10:35Let's get it out.
10:38You don't want to get yourselves too behind now.
10:46Service.
10:55Thank you so much.
10:57Lovely. Thank you.
10:58So far, canapes.
11:00We have a crab with yuzu and ginger aioli on a black rice cracker topped with pickled radish.
11:07Instead of the crab for me, I've got monkfish.
11:15That thing's lovely.
11:16I think it's nice.
11:17I think the cracker can be a little bit crispier.
11:18I think it felt like it was starting to go soggy.
11:21The flavours are really nice.
11:22Really intense.
11:23I mean, in such a small dish.
11:25Yeah.
11:26Beautiful.
11:27Oh, it's monkfish.
11:28The flavours are nice.
11:29I like the cracker.
11:30I think I like the cracker more than the fish.
11:32I love yuzu flavour.
11:32I think a bit more of that citrus flavour would have really lifted the whole thing up,
11:36but overall, really, really good.
11:37Next one, chicken liver.
11:38Chicken liver parfait with nougatine tuile, licorice puree
11:42and candied grapefruit zest in a feuille de brick tart case.
11:52I quite like that.
11:54That's my never-son.
11:55That kind of licorice and that candied kind of citrus zest that you get from the grapefruit.
12:00I think the two of them work very, very well together.
12:02The licorices are just interesting.
12:04It's really interesting, isn't it?
12:06Yeah.
12:06It's a new little thing for me.
12:08The grapefruit definitely comes through quite a lot as well.
12:10You get that real zinginess.
12:11Mm.
12:12We'll hold up the one that we think is the best.
12:15I think the chicken liver parfait.
12:17The chicken liver parfait.
12:18I prefer this one.
12:19It's like, it was a bit lighter, a bit fresher, and I liked that to start.
12:24Both of them work very nicely.
12:26Yeah.
12:26Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:27That's a good start.
12:29That.
12:34Don Perry's just got one of my canapes.
12:36With Josh ahead on canapes.
12:38So the league stock finished now, seasoned nicely.
12:41It's on to the vegan starter.
12:43So this is my new and improved crushed Jerusalem artichoke with some actual taste and flavour.
12:52Abby's up first.
12:54Yeah.
12:55Yeah.
12:55That is an intense pepper mill.
12:59OK, so our first starter, Vitrum Hortus, is crushed, roasted and pickled Jerusalem artichokes, cracked hazelnut, mushroom puree, mandrake crisps,
13:09truffle, nasturtiums and allium flowers.
13:12Inspired by the herbology class scenes in Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets, filmed at Warner Brothers Studio, London.
13:20Now, this, like both of our starters, is plant-based.
13:25I love artichokes.
13:26I love that hazelnut element with it as well.
13:34I don't want to season a consomme after it's been clarified because it would just make it cloudy again.
13:42You started off with a six.
13:44Not amazing.
13:45What was the feedback you got from Actar?
13:48Cut down the amount of the crushed artichokes on the dish.
13:50So what have you done?
13:51So we're going to do just some toasted cracked hazelnuts on top.
13:54And what about the actual Jerusalem artichokes themselves?
13:56I'm roasting them in the oven just to get a bit more depth of flavour.
13:59Right, because before they were just steamed, boiled.
14:01Yeah, they just needed a bit more seasoning and a bit more love.
14:04A bit of love. Exactly.
14:04Any sauce?
14:05Yeah, so I've made a vegan demi-glaze.
14:08Ah!
14:08Which is a first for me.
14:11Demi-glass is a reduced, stock, glossy sauce which Abby hopes will help elevate her reworked dish.
14:18These are the new addition of roasted Jerusalem artichokes.
14:23Just basting them with some vegan butter and some herbs.
14:28So Simon, in Four Weddings and a Funeral, your character's gay, and I believe that yourself came out as gay
14:33in the 1980s.
14:34Do you feel like your role in that film had a big impact on how the public perceived gay marriage?
14:39Yes, I do think it did. I got a whole lot of letters from people who...
14:43Why didn't?
14:45Astonishingly, one of them said, I didn't realise gay people had feelings.
14:49I wrote back and I said, that's all we have.
14:53But this film was made at the time of AIDS.
14:56So it seemed to me a fabulous thing that this film just showed a man who celebrated, celebrated himself, celebrated
15:03life, celebrated, for God's sake, Scottish dancing.
15:06And I was very happy to have been part of that.
15:12Okay.
15:14Abby cooks off some Chirol mushrooms in vegan butter.
15:20Abby, you have six minutes to the pass for your starter, chef.
15:23Aye, aye.
15:26Run like the wind, chef.
15:27I can do that.
15:29Are they Jerusalem artichokes?
15:31Yep.
15:32Demi glass.
15:33Woo!
15:35What do you need doing, Abby?
15:37Could you just pick some nasturtiums for me, like the smallest ones in there?
15:42A new herb oil is drizzled over the top of roasted crushed artichokes.
15:47Oh, my God, this is already transformed, isn't it?
15:51Roasted whole Jerusalem artichokes.
15:54I'm going to put three of those on per plate.
15:56Here's your old mushrooms.
15:58Ow.
15:59Everything's hot.
16:01Oh, you've got herbaceous notes.
16:03Is that your mushroom puree?
16:05Yes.
16:07If you could help me put the pickles on, that would be wicked.
16:11You're due at the pass now, Abby.
16:14Ten seconds.
16:15Pickles on.
16:18I forgot about all your amazing presentation.
16:23Right.
16:25Beautiful.
16:26All right.
16:27Sabbath.
16:31Lovely.
16:41I mean, it looks fantastic.
16:43I feel like I'm in the herbology classroom.
16:46It's very cool.
16:47Also, we've been given these wands to magically lift up our mandrake crisps.
16:51Ah.
16:55Oh, no, no, no.
17:13You know, I quite like it.
17:14I quite like the flavours.
17:15but I think there's a little bit more acidity in it.
17:18I really loved the little roasted artichokes that were in there,
17:21and I loved the hazelnuts.
17:23I thought it was delish. I devoured the whole thing.
17:26It's a sort of a magical journey in itself,
17:29as you go from taste to taste,
17:31and the amazing thing is that they do cohere,
17:34and it does blend together.
17:36I thought the sauce was intense and amazing.
17:38I actually thought that deep, rich flavour suddenly cut through,
17:40and it made it all come to life.
17:42I am a little bit more in Lorna's camp,
17:44is it needed something a bit more to cut through it,
17:46but I actually think it could have come from texture.
17:48The puree of the artichoke and the cooked, like, roasted artichokes,
17:52I think if they were just a little crisper, a little cruncher,
17:55that would have helped lift this dish into something else.
18:03I need to finish cooking my blue string,
18:06and then roll little bouquet garnis of leek and potato,
18:11and fry the pomme dauphine.
18:14How are you doing, Josh? Are you going to be on time?
18:16I should be on time. Yeah.
18:18Provided everything goes to plan as it's going.
18:23So our next dish is blue soup.
18:25It's blue string leek soup, cheese pomme dauphine,
18:29and sherry vinegar gel, celebrating Bridget Jones's diary,
18:33which is set in London.
18:34The chef is recreating the scene where Bridget makes her friends
18:37a leek and potato soup whilst hosting a dinner party.
18:40So, making a soup blue, how would you do it?
18:43I mean, I think food colouring, if I'm honest,
18:45would be the only way that I'd be able to achieve that.
18:47I think it's a pretty unique thing to achieve a blue soup.
18:51So let's get into it. You've got a seven.
18:54You'd definitely like a higher score.
18:55Yes.
18:55What was Actar's feedback for you?
18:57Really, he wanted more from the pomme dauphine.
19:02Yeah. And a bit more blue in the soup.
19:04So I'm doing a longer string.
19:07So that when we pour that broth, there's going to be more blue.
19:10More blue. Because you've had quite a lot of
19:12kitchen gremlins happening to you throughout this week, haven't you?
19:15I think all of that's past me now.
19:17You are remarkably resilient. It hasn't shaken you at all.
19:21I've actually got Bridget's diary here.
19:23Dear diary, had a dinner party this evening.
19:26Meant to be elegant, sophisticated soiree.
19:28Instead, produced a blue soup.
19:30Looked like something from Alien Cafeteria.
19:32I do like romantic comedy.
19:34Yeah. The British, we sort of specialise in them somewhat,
19:38do you think? It has become a sort of British genre.
19:40I mean, there are obviously many wonderful American ones as well.
19:43And it really, Richard Curtis is at the heart of that.
19:49Joss secures his leek and potato bundles with the longer blue string.
19:55He fries Pomme Dauphine.
19:58All right, Josh, you've got four minutes for your blue soup.
20:01Wait.
20:02Do you want these in the little dishes?
20:04Yeah, I can do, mate, yeah.
20:05Three per dish?
20:06Three per, yeah, please.
20:07Good. Yes, generosity.
20:10Leek strings are first, then they're garnished with chives and chervo.
20:16Two minutes to the pass, Josh.
20:18Wait, two minutes.
20:20And he passes the leek consomme.
20:24Oh, look at that colour.
20:27One on each tray, mate.
20:29Look at that. Oh, lovely, the gel.
20:33Lovely service. Thank you.
20:35Grab the door, please, Josh.
20:49You can see the dyed piece of string there that's holding all those potatoes together,
20:53but it looks very elegant for leek and potato soup.
20:55Well, it's not blue yet.
20:57I wonder what happens when you throw the leek consomme?
20:59Goes blue!
21:01Wow!
21:15The actual kind of clear, soupy broth, the flavour of that, I thought, was crisp and clean,
21:22a little bit peppery.
21:23It was really, really nice.
21:24I loved that a lot.
21:26The problem that I've got with it is the bundle becomes a bit clunky and is slightly awkward to eat.
21:32Just the execution of it, I find just a little not quite on point.
21:37I love the pomme dauphine on the side.
21:40Could possibly do with it being a little bit more cheesy.
21:42The dauphine, as you say, is, I mean, really is.
21:46I think the dauphine are quite comforting and I don't feel this is quite comforting enough for me.
21:49Yeah, they've perfected making a beautiful, clear, almost like consomme broth flavour,
21:54which is, you know, it's a beautiful skill set, but actually,
21:57when you think of it as a soup and everything else that goes with it,
21:59it feels more, it should be more hugging.
22:02Yeah, and I feel like that's kind of what I'd want from Bridget Jones as well.
22:05A hug from Bridget Jones.
22:06Yeah.
22:08Not denying that.
22:09There's something very odd about eating blue food as well.
22:13I just kind of feel like I'm at the dentist.
22:16Yeah.
22:18If you'd like to spit into that.
22:27Woo!
22:28It's in the same.
22:30They've both had issues with their fish courses in the week.
22:35Actile's given both of them a whole ton of feedback.
22:38Hopefully, it's going to help them nail the detail on these dishes.
22:43Whilst Abby blitzes a butter emulsion before adding the seaweed...
22:48Haste of nothing.
22:50..Josh steams his lobsters and moves on to a vanilla butter sauce.
22:57Right, talk to us about Casino a la Royale.
23:00You had high hopes for it, but you got a six.
23:02Actile's feedback was...
23:05No sauce, you should have a sauce.
23:07Mm-hmm.
23:08What else?
23:09So, rather than putting the mousse inside the bril,
23:11I'm going to just gently poach the bril.
23:14And then the fish mousse, I'm going to dye half of the mousse black
23:17and turn it into the poker chip effect, as Actar's advised.
23:21Talk to me about your sauce. I'm excited.
23:23I've made a champagne vermouth sauce.
23:25Very James Bond.
23:26Very bougie.
23:27Can't wait to see it.
23:32Half of the fish mousse is dyed black before setting.
23:36So, this dish is called Casino a la Royale,
23:40and it's inspired by the James Bond film 2006,
23:44and the key scenes from it were shot in Pinewood Studios in London.
23:48It consists of poached bril, fish mousse,
23:53confit potatoes, charred baby leeks, fennel puree,
23:58Vesper martini, broth and sauce.
24:01Extravagant.
24:02And bril is such a wonderful fish.
24:05Yes, yeah.
24:07Abby's new black and white fish mousses are set,
24:09so she's making poker chips as Actar suggested.
24:13Next, it's her fennel puree.
24:15Once again, one is coloured black, the other is white.
24:19And I'll go right here.
24:23How's your grill, Abby?
24:25It's good. I'm letting it rest.
24:27All right.
24:28Three minutes to the past, Chef.
24:29Three minutes.
24:30Yes, Chef.
24:35Ooh. Happy?
24:37I think it might need a touch longer.
24:39It doesn't need any more cooking.
24:41It just wants to be warmer, do you know what I mean?
24:42Yeah, my thoughts, exactly.
24:44So you're due at the past now, Abby.
24:46You want an extra two minutes?
24:47Yes, please.
24:49All right.
24:50The fennel purees are first.
24:52It's looking good.
24:54I want to get that fish out, Abby.
24:55You don't want it to go over.
24:58Fish is here.
25:00You are two minutes over, Abby.
25:02Coming out now. Coming, coming, coming.
25:04Fish mousse poker chip, charred baby leeks
25:07and blanched sea herbs.
25:10You need to push, Chef.
25:11Your time is marching on.
25:12Yes, Chef.
25:14Up in one.
25:17Okay.
25:18Cool.
25:20This is hardcore.
25:21It is hardcore.
25:22And you are five minutes over, Abby.
25:24Okay, I've got sauce ready.
25:26Let's go.
25:26Yes.
25:27Yes.
25:27Perfect.
25:32Yes.
25:37All right.
25:38Service.
25:40Thank you, guys.
25:54It feels like I'm at a casino.
25:56Yeah.
25:56Except at the minute, I've still got some chips and some money.
25:59Yeah.
25:59Yeah.
26:03Oh, God.
26:04Oh, no.
26:19The fish is cooked perfectly.
26:21The fish is really nicely cooked.
26:22I really like that poach.
26:23It's all nicely done enough, but there's nothing really exciting about it.
26:26It feels like a very interesting set of ingredients which haven't copulated.
26:33They're not...
26:33It's not...
26:35It hasn't actually resulted in anything that you can identify, you know?
26:41It's such a disappointment, because actually, the piece of fish is beautifully cooked,
26:44and the fish mousse kind of chip disc doesn't really work.
26:49The potatoes are okay.
26:50They're kind of sat there.
26:51And I've got to be honest, I'm not a big fan of drinking a glass of warm fish stock.
26:56It's just not my thing.
26:58Yeah.
26:59I'm quite into it, actually.
27:06Can I give you a push for something, mate?
27:08Can you take this kombu, really finely slice it in little strands like that,
27:14and then deep fry it for me, please?
27:16You got it.
27:17The second fish dish is called First Lobster.
27:21Lobster tail, tempura lobster claw, pumpkin puree, dashi pumpkin, pickled pumpkin,
27:26crispy kombu, vanilla butter sauce, celebrating Love Actually, which is set in London.
27:32The dish is inspired by the scene with Emma Thompson's daughter,
27:35who is First Lobster in the nativity play.
27:38I love the lobster. You can't have any.
27:40No, I've got Dover's soul, but I've got everything else the same.
27:43My only concern with this is a vanilla butter sauce and fish.
27:57Two more courses.
27:59I hate to break it to you, but it's three.
28:02So negative.
28:05Ooh, new pumpkin.
28:07New pumpkin. The lobster will sit on top.
28:09That lobster looks slightly different. Are you changing it?
28:11Yeah, I want to get more sauce into the dish, so I'm going to dress in a bowl,
28:17which will sit on top of the nativity stage.
28:20Ah, what did you score for this?
28:22Seven.
28:23Seven.
28:24Eight, nine, ten.
28:25Three points leeway still.
28:27Go get him, tiger.
28:28Wait.
28:29Simon, following your first film role in Amadeus in 1984, you went on to star in a string of Merchant
28:35Ivory films.
28:36Maurice, Howard Zend.
28:38Room of the View.
28:38Room of the View.
28:39What was it like transitioning from stage acting to screen acting?
28:43Amadeus is a great big blockbuster of an American film, which means that people shout all day long at you.
28:51And I found that exhausting and annoying.
28:55And so I thought, so if this is filmmaking, I'll take a rain check.
29:01Whereupon, through Felicity Kendall, who was playing my wife in Amadeus, I got to meet Ismael Merchant and Jim Ivory,
29:09the people who created Merchant Ivory, and they asked me to act in a Room of the View.
29:16Was there less shouting on those sets then than on the Amadeus set?
29:19Oh, no, no, no. There was a lot of shouting, but different. It was family shouting.
29:22OK, yes.
29:26Joss begins plating, starting with the revamped roasted pumpkin.
29:33Four minutes to the pass, Joss.
29:35Sweet.
29:36Steamed lobster, tempura lobster claw and pickled pumpkin slivers.
29:42I've got your seaweed as well.
29:46Then it's on to Tom's Dover salt.
29:53Sauce incoming.
30:01Looks great.
30:04Service.
30:16Wow.
30:17Oh, that's beautiful.
30:28How's your lobster working for you?
30:31Difficult to cut.
30:32Mm-hm.
30:32OK.
30:33My Dover salt wasn't difficult to cut.
30:35It was cooked beautifully.
30:37It's a nice piece of cookery.
30:39I'm still not convinced that the vanilla is right.
30:42The pickled pumpkin's just, it's just, the texture of it, it's not good.
30:45It's not great.
30:46I quite like the flavour of it.
30:49I like the sauce and the purys and stuff that all went together.
30:51I just think the lobster needed to be carved or something like that.
30:53It was very difficult to eat, because you're trying to cut it and it's almost impossible to cut.
30:57Well, the lobster claw tempura was perfect, really, because that's the size of chunk you need, really.
31:02Yeah.
31:03And the batter was delicious, really Japanesey, and the kombu, crispy kombu on top was really lovely.
31:07I love the kombu.
31:11And the first kombu.
31:12This might be one of those few occasions where a French classic just doesn't work.
31:22Second half of the menu's left to cook, both chefs crack on with some vital dessert prep.
31:28Just getting the burn-moisette on for the ice cream base.
31:34So this is a gingerbread, I'm baking a gingerbread and then turning that into a puree.
31:42I'm trying to make sure I put enough in to get all the details of the mould.
31:46Bafta, bafta, bafta.
31:49Abby sets her peanut parfait baftas and Josh is in the chiller too with his mascarpone mousse.
31:56Popcorn ice cream.
31:58Oh yeah.
32:00Hello, lovely people.
32:02Hello.
32:02Andy.
32:03Are you having a lovely time?
32:04I'm having an adorable time.
32:05Good.
32:06Adorable is excellent.
32:07This is what we like.
32:08How's it going in here, chef?
32:09There's been some nice flavours.
32:11I've got to be honest.
32:12It's been a gentle start.
32:13How about you, Lorna?
32:14How's it going for you?
32:15Same as Tom.
32:16I thought that it would be a bit stronger than what it is.
32:19It's not to say that there's not nice things in there, because there is, but not quite as strong as
32:23what I'd hoped.
32:24They're trying to tell you stories.
32:26Are you getting any of these stories?
32:27Yeah.
32:28Well, that's a very interesting thing.
32:29The stories are actually very clear and very witty.
32:32I mean, you are really seen, Simon, as an actor.
32:37You've literally written the book on being an actor.
32:40What was it that made you decide to put that into paper, so to speak?
32:43Well, I became an actor just slightly later than some people do, so I started my studies when I was
32:5021.
32:50Right.
32:51So I emerged when I was 24.
32:52As I became part of the acting community, so to speak, I began to just be utterly fascinated by what
33:00the work is, what the relationships are within the acting business.
33:06I felt almost like an anthropologist visiting a kind of unknown tribe.
33:10That was why I wrote that book.
33:12So halfway, halfway mark, we've still got mains, we've still got desserts, we've still got a free dessert to go.
33:18All right.
33:18Thank you so much.
33:19Lovely to talk to you.
33:20Thank you, Alan.
33:21Ah, main course.
33:23You ready?
33:23Yeah.
33:25It's a good lie.
33:26Good lie.
33:27You?
33:27No.
33:28No.
33:29I'm just laying flat some chicken skin.
33:33I'm going to crisp them up really nicely.
33:35Abi's working on her black pudding bubble and squeak.
33:38Aktar recommended searing off the black pudding a little bit, just because he felt like it would add a nice
33:43bit of crunch inside.
33:45Josh is up first and having made rice crackers, he's now working on his braised gem lettuces.
33:51I'm using a brown chicken stock, just to add a little more depth of flavour.
33:58OK, so our first main course of the day is called Not a Fan of Chicken and Sauce Anyways.
34:04And it's chicken valentine, crispy chicken skin, braised gem lettuce, rice cracker, lime gastrique and chicken mole.
34:11And it's a celebration of Audrey Hepburn, who spent part of her childhood in Kent.
34:16This dish is inspired by breakfast at Tiffany's.
34:20Let's do it.
34:26You've got seven for this dish.
34:27What changes have you made?
34:29What did Aktar say to you?
34:30To be careful about the bitterness that the wild rice added.
34:34So I've opted for a saffron rice cracker instead.
34:38I've added salt to the mole a little bit more.
34:41Yeah.
34:41Just bring out those spices.
34:43Is there any fresh baby gem going on?
34:45No.
34:45There is.
34:46There is.
34:46It's a simple dish, but it packs a punch.
34:48Thank you very much.
34:51So I'm going to attempt to make, in the time I have, some apple puree.
34:57Josh's chicken valentine stuffed with chicken musseline has been gently poaching.
35:02It's then rolled in the reduced brown stock used for the braised lettuces.
35:08Josh, you have six minutes to the pass, Chef.
35:11Yeah.
35:13Josh begins with the spicy chicken mole sauce, then the balachine.
35:19Do you want to hand with anything going on?
35:20Just put three pieces of crispy chicken on each of those, please.
35:25Yeah.
35:26The dish is finished with fresh baby gem lettuce and microherbs, before being served in a smoky pressure cooker.
35:35Lovely.
35:36Just keep it nice and flat.
35:39Service.
35:59I was genuinely scared they were going to explode there.
36:01Yeah.
36:02It was probably tense.
36:03That's great.
36:04Looks like chocolate sauce, doesn't it?
36:05Mmm.
36:17I think it's very tasty, I think the chicken's beautifully cooked.
36:21The mole is nice and spicy.
36:24Lettuce doesn't get cooked enough, that's lovely.
36:26I think the sauce is great, I think it is nice and spicy.
36:29Tastes really delicious.
36:31Chicken's cooked beautifully.
36:32The chicken's not quite doing it for me.
36:35Maybe the flavour's a little overwhelmed by the sauce, it has to be said.
36:38Great, but so the chicken loses out a bit for me on this.
36:42Maybe if we were to see it again, maybe a bigger bowl with some rice or something served on the
36:47side or something.
36:48Something a bit more, but not had anything like this before on Great British Menu.
36:53Very, very simple but beautiful dish.
36:55I like it a lot.
37:01How to mix crackling for Tom Kerrish.
37:03No pressure.
37:12Abby de-moulds pork jus frozen in diamond-shaped moulds.
37:16Yes.
37:18And dusts with edible silver leaf.
37:23Right, I can freeze it.
37:26This next dish is called Oi, Don't Snatch.
37:30It's roast English pork pressa, trecho glazed pork belly, black pudding bubbling squeak, smoked slediac puree, caramelised apples, crackling and
37:40a pork jus.
37:41A celebration of film director, producer and screenwriter Guy Ritchie and his movie Snatch.
37:47Guy Ritchie was born in Hertfordshire.
37:49Love this film.
37:50Love roast pork.
37:51Yeah.
37:52There we go.
37:53Good combo, innit?
37:54Yeah.
37:55I cannot endure black pudding.
37:57Oh, really?
37:57I just cannot face it.
37:59You got a seven for this.
38:01What was the other feedback you got from Actaro?
38:04Just that the pink lady apple was a little bit too sweet.
38:07Too sweet.
38:07So you got a Bernie Smith.
38:08Yep.
38:08And he also said it would be nice to have a vegetable on there.
38:10Yes.
38:11We've got some kale.
38:12What's the hardest thing on this dish?
38:13Oh, that presser.
38:14Cooking the pork and getting a nice crust on the outside.
38:16Going in a pan?
38:17Yes.
38:18Classic way.
38:19Pan, herbs, garlic, butter.
38:20I can't wait to see it.
38:26With her Granny Smith apple puree made.
38:29It's nice and fresh and zingy.
38:32The black pudding bubble and squeak cooked.
38:35Abi's next task is to pan roast the pork.
38:38She crusty.
38:40Caramelised apples are glazed with sugar and apple vinegar.
38:43La la la la la.
38:46That's the sound of panic.
38:47Abi, six minutes for your delicious pork dish.
38:53Abi's overnight steamed pork belly is treacle glazed and ready to be reheated.
38:58Josh, could you grab a jug?
39:00And then we'll put the sauce inside, please.
39:04Celeriac puree and kale are first, followed by pork belly.
39:09Abi.
39:10Abi, you have three minutes to the pass, Chef.
39:12Yeah.
39:12Three minutes.
39:13Come on, Abi.
39:15Caramelised apples and bubble and squeak.
39:18You'll chew on the pass in 30 seconds, Abi.
39:21Yep.
39:22Slices of roast pork finish the dish whilst Josh smokes teapots containing the frozen diamond-shaped pork june.
39:30Crackling sage.
39:32Words that hopefully Tom Carrod will appreciate.
39:38Service, please.
39:40Look at that.
39:51Like a case of money.
39:54Ah!
39:56Pour the sauce in the teacup, give it a swirl to mix things up, then set it back on the
40:01heating device.
40:01Keep your eyes on it, because in a moment that diamond's going to disappear like it was never there.
40:06Go on.
40:08Get melting, me old maca.
40:09I think it will, but I think it'll probably take a while.
40:11I've got to be honest, I've kind of half-sighted on this and it's already a little bit cold, so
40:15this is...
40:15OK, would you like some sauce?
40:16Yeah.
40:17Oh, God.
40:28It's never going to work for a banquet.
40:30The sauce hasn't melted enough.
40:32The plating up, there's too many fiddly little bits.
40:35The black pudding bubble and squeak is OK.
40:39The one thing I did really like was the pork belly.
40:42I thought that was delicious.
40:43Fabulous.
40:43The crackling, I think, is delish.
40:45I love that.
40:46It's so crisp.
40:46This is a nice idea, but, I mean, it's still not melted properly, so it's never going to melt in
40:52time for you to get it nice and hot and on your plate of food.
40:55Good dish, but not a great dish.
40:57And I will say this, the black pudding was almost impossible to detect, so I'm in favour of that.
41:09Very hot tray, guys.
41:11My brandy snaps.
41:12Time for the sweet part of the menu, starting with pre-desserts.
41:19This is rum punch granita.
41:22So it's a mix of rum, nutmeg, fresh pineapple juice, lime juice and water.
41:28I haven't changed anything.
41:34All right, chefs.
41:36Five minutes and your pre-desserts are due on the pass.
41:39You are nearly there, chefs.
41:42Wonderful news.
41:44How's defying gravity, Abi?
41:47It's working out.
41:48Working out.
41:49Abi's pre-dessert is apple sorbet in brandy-snap tuiles, garnished with apple matchsticks.
41:57OK, Josh, I'm, like, 30 seconds out.
41:59Yeah.
42:01Preserved blackberries are next.
42:05Josh fills jars with chantilly cream topped with his rum punch granita.
42:11Josh, you good if we go?
42:12I'm good, yeah.
42:15And I can tell you, you are two minutes early.
42:17That's nice.
42:18So you regain that two minutes you lost at the beginning of the day.
42:22Service.
42:31Oh.
42:33Oh, I love it.
42:34Yes.
42:35Nice hat.
42:36Oh, it's Mary Poppins.
42:37How fun.
42:39So for our pre-desserts, we have a spoonful of sugar, strawberry and lime sugar, rum punch granita,
42:46chantilly cream, inspired by Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews, who was born in London,
42:50where the film is both set and filmed.
42:52And we also have Defying Gravity, green apple sorbet, blackberry gel, preserved blackberries,
42:58brandy-snap tuile, apple matchsticks, apple blossom, inspired by the movie Wicked from 2024,
43:04and London-born Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba.
43:14As lovely as this is, the actual execution of that is pretty poor.
43:18The brandy-snap is really thick.
43:20The flavour of the apple is a bit sweet.
43:22It's melted everywhere.
43:23It's quite spicy and nip in the back of my throat.
43:26I think it's ginger in the brandy-snap.
43:28Ah, that's what it is.
43:29Spoonful of sugar, just one.
43:39Textually, I don't know if it's a bit like cottage cheese.
43:42It's not really for me, anyway.
43:45Ah, it's proper clunky, that.
43:47My creme chantilly is at the bottom.
43:49I don't know whether it's supposed to be a bit cooked like a creme brulee and set,
43:54or whether it's just whipped cream, and then because they put granita on it, it's frozen,
43:57there's got lumps in it.
43:58I kind of feel like, because both of them are so cold, it's actually quite hard to make anything out.
44:02You can't really taste anything.
44:03The blackberry is almost a bit bitter or something. It's not very pleasing.
44:08A little bit like the canapé, we've got to lift up which one we think is the best.
44:13I think this one.
44:14Yeah.
44:19Sort of defying gravity, it's like...
44:23Just lifting it up!
44:25It's mid-lift-off.
44:31How are you looking for dessert, Josh?
44:33I'm ready, I'm pretty much ready.
44:35How about you?
44:36Bit to do.
44:37Bit to do.
44:37Bit to do.
44:38It's got potential.
44:42Abby scrapes the pre-dessert, and she's now assembling her Peanut Parfait BAFTA awards.
44:50Naulty.
44:55All right, let's talk about your dessert.
44:57You got a seven?
44:57Yes, got a seven.
44:58What did I tell you?
45:00That I needed to make it slightly shallower, so it's not quite as big, not as rich.
45:03He said to plate it slightly differently, so I've got the lime gel and the chocolate crumb going underneath the
45:08mask, so that every mouthful you get some.
45:11He said to change up the recipe on the popcorn ice cream to use more buttery popcorn to infuse into
45:17it.
45:17You did that?
45:18Yes, I did.
45:18Have you done everything he told you to do?
45:20Yeah, man.
45:21I think I'm not going to listen to him.
45:22Good luck, chef.
45:25Abs, you've got to calm down, mate.
45:26You've just got to just call it.
45:32Josh is up first and having made his ginger tuiles.
45:36Oh, stay where you are, man.
45:39And his cardamom ice cream.
45:41Delicious.
45:42He works on a new addition to his dessert.
45:45I have added a Jamaican ginger cake.
45:51The dessert is called cow as white as milk.
45:55It consists of mascarpone mousse, Jamaican ginger cake, cardamom ice cream, gingerbread puree, stemmed ginger and lime gel, ginger tuile
46:07and caramel.
46:08That's it.
46:09I want it now.
46:10I want it.
46:10Just those words.
46:11I want it.
46:12Sold.
46:13It's inspired by Into the Woods, 2014, and scenes filmed at Dover Castle, close to where the chef lives.
46:19In the movie, the witch requires four things in return for lifting a curse on the baker and his wife.
46:25The first is a cow as white as milk.
46:30You scored a seven?
46:31Yep.
46:32What was Actar's chapped for you?
46:34I thought it was too small.
46:35Yes.
46:35So I've added a Jamaica cake.
46:39Cute.
46:40Oh, moist.
46:42So I've taken off the ginger beer gel and I've made a stem ginger and lime gel instead.
46:47Oh, nice.
46:47So some sharpness, some brightness on there.
46:49Yeah, super sharp and tastes delicious alongside a different gingerbread puree that I've made.
46:54Good luck, chef.
46:55Thank you very much.
46:55I hope it works out.
46:56Cheers.
46:57Right, Abby.
46:58It's not over yet.
47:00Abby finishes building her BAFTA masks.
47:03She's BAFTA-ing.
47:05Josh starts to plate his dessert with ginger cake, gingerbread puree, stem ginger and lime gel.
47:13Hi, Josh.
47:14Hello.
47:14I actually just came in to check on you.
47:17You've still got a whole 20 minutes left.
47:19Yeah, I'll be ready in five, if that's all right with you.
47:22That's fine, yeah.
47:23If you want to come that early, that's totally fine with us.
47:25Gorgeous.
47:25Look at that.
47:26Yeah.
47:28Cardamom ice cream.
47:30Looks good, mate.
47:32Cute.
47:33Caramel sauce.
47:35Is that new, that caramel?
47:36It's not new.
47:37It's just changed location.
47:39Ah.
47:40And the dish is finished with the mascarpone mousse cow.
47:43All good.
47:44All right.
47:45Lovely.
47:47Service.
48:02Oh, gosh.
48:03Oh, gosh.
48:20I really like that.
48:21I thought the ginger flavor was really nicely balanced.
48:24When I hit a bit of lime gel, I thought the whole thing really sang and it kind of lifted
48:28it.
48:29I mean, as a self-confessed, not-dessert person, I enjoyed the mousse rather because mascarpone is virtually cheese.
48:40But this, it is worth saying, this is so beautiful.
48:43The concept is so lovely.
48:45I loved the mascarpone mousse.
48:47I thought that was fantastic.
48:48Yeah.
48:48The way that it was set with the cow's face on the top, I thought it was, yeah, it's a
48:52beautiful dish.
48:53I think it's very, very good.
48:54I think that's one of the highlights of the day so far for me.
48:56Yeah.
48:56I thought the sponge was quite dry.
48:58I do feel like it has enough moisture going around it so I wasn't offended by it being dry.
49:02The fact that it was dry gave a bit of extra texture.
49:04So then by the time you've had the ice cream and the mascarpone mousse, it sat quite nicely.
49:08I think it was a nice piece of cake.
49:11Mm.
49:16So how are you feeling now? The last course is out and done.
49:19It's really nice. It's a nice feeling.
49:21I can't wait for it.
49:22All the stress is gone.
49:23You'll be there soon.
49:25Yes, I will.
49:26So the last dish is called, and the BAFTA goes to, and this is a peanut and salted caramel parfait,
49:34popcorn ice cream, lime gel, peanut brittle and salted caramel popcorn.
49:41And it's made in celebration of BAFTA, the British Academy.
49:45I love it.
49:45It sounds salty and nutty and indulgent.
49:49And I reckon it's going to come out looking like a BAFTA award.
49:51Mm-hmm.
49:56Is that water?
49:57Yeah, it's supposed to be a wet caramel.
50:00I think it'll crystallise, mate.
50:02Maybe that's what I wanted then.
50:05No!
50:07Abi starts her caramel again.
50:09Put the water in, then put the sugar in.
50:12Do you want to finish the dessert?
50:13Do you want to do it for me?
50:14I'm not trying to interfere, I'm just saying.
50:16No, tell you what you could do.
50:17Yes, please.
50:18You could blend that for me.
50:20Set now.
50:21No problem.
50:26Come on.
50:28Happy with this?
50:29He needs a bit more agar, doesn't he?
50:32Let's grab a pan.
50:34Pan.
50:35Melt.
50:37Agar.
50:38I would always go 2%.
50:40While Joff reworks Abi's lime gel, whisking in more agar.
50:45Cheers, boss man.
50:46Abi mixes her new caramel with popcorn.
50:49Caramel sticking to my hands.
50:53She fills ice cream pots with chocolate crumb and tops with the caramel popcorn.
51:01Thanks, brother.
51:02That's right.
51:04More chocolate crumb is plated, followed by the rescued lime gel.
51:09Bonza, great, wonderful.
51:11Next, the BAFTAs.
51:13Rock and roll, let's go.
51:15And popcorn ice cream.
51:18Nice one.
51:21All right, Abi.
51:22Oh, look at you, looking very ready.
51:23You've got nine minutes, chef.
51:25I'm good to go if you are.
51:26Oh, what now?
51:27Yeah.
51:27Fantastic.
51:28Let's do it.
51:33Oh.
51:35Look at this.
51:41That's much better texture.
51:42Look at that.
51:43It's sort of sitting and everything.
51:44We could put the wax seal facing upwards.
51:47Okay.
51:48Service, please.
51:49All right, here we go.
51:54Well done.
51:56Got it out.
51:57Well done.
51:58It's been a long haul, has it not?
52:01Yes.
52:02We'll just have to see what the judges have to say.
52:04And I will see you guys in the judges' chamber.
52:07Thank you so much.
52:08Abi's dessert has left the fast.
52:10That is the last dish of the day.
52:12And the BAFTA goes to...
52:14We'll soon find out, I guess.
52:17Yes!
52:17You know?
52:19Ah!
52:29Nervous.
52:30And the BAFTA goes to...
52:35You!
52:37No, it goes to me.
52:39Not me.
52:40Not you.
52:41Three, two, one.
52:44Oh, that's loud, you know.
52:46Oh!
52:47I don't think I thought that through.
52:50It all fell over me pudding.
52:51LAUGHTER
53:05What do you think, Lorna?
53:06You were looking forward to this.
53:08Yes.
53:08I love all the flavours.
53:09I like the chewy caramel.
53:11I like the popcorn.
53:12A little bit more salt.
53:14A little bit more lime.
53:15And it's a winner in my books.
53:16When you hit a bit of that lime gel, it's so lovely.
53:19And the whole thing really pops off.
53:20It looks fantastic.
53:22And that popcorn ice cream, I thought, was sensational.
53:24I love that.
53:25Very tasty.
53:27As much as I love the chewy caramel base for the actual BAFTA,
53:31I think there's quite a lot of it.
53:32And I think that's where the sweetness problem is.
53:34It could probably be crisper or thinner or a smaller amount.
53:36I mean, it absolutely sums up British movie and movie makers, doesn't it?
53:40It's the BAFTAs, you know?
53:42Yeah, so a little bit of rework and it will be BAFTA-worthy.
53:45Exactly.
53:51I feel exhausted.
53:53Knackered, eh?
53:54But I'm happy with the changes I made on my dishes.
53:56Actually, it's really nice to be able to get some outside opinion on it
54:00and just see how you can improve it, I think.
54:02Yeah, and learn from Aghtar and make those changes.
54:04100%, yeah.
54:05Yeah.
54:06Best of luck.
54:07You too.
54:19Chefs, welcome to the judges' chamber.
54:22How are you feeling?
54:23And good?
54:23Not good.
54:24Yes.
54:25You have worked so hard this week and today has been no exception.
54:30So we really thank you from the bottom of our hearts
54:32for all that you've given us.
54:34Today, I mean, you can see that the dishes grew and grew and grew
54:37and they both finished very definitely on a high with those desserts.
54:40So well done, chefs.
54:42On that note, I want to know who cooked not a fan of chicken and sauce anyway?
54:49Chef, for me, that was one of the most interesting things
54:53that we've eaten in this great British menu judging chamber.
54:56Really, really great technique as well.
54:58So, super interesting.
54:59Well done.
55:01Could I ask who cooked Vitrum Hortus?
55:04That was me.
55:05Ah, Abby.
55:06I just adored this.
55:07Every element added up to a sort of fantasy in food and I gave you 10 out of 10 for
55:15that.
55:17And who made cow as white as milk?
55:20Oh, well done, Josh.
55:22That was such an accomplished dessert.
55:24The presentation was absolutely stunning.
55:26Really, really elegant dessert.
55:27Well done.
55:28Well, look, chefs, we're not going to make you wait any longer.
55:31Andy's got the result.
55:33And the winner for London and the South East, going through to Cook at finals, with only four points in
55:43it, is...
55:53Josh.
55:57Congratulations, mate.
56:00Well done.
56:01Was that relief, Josh?
56:02Yeah.
56:03Oh, God.
56:05Well, well done.
56:06First time here.
56:07How have you found it?
56:08Has it been fun?
56:08Yeah.
56:09And miserable at the same time.
56:12Yeah, fun.
56:13Well, congratulations.
56:14You've got to do it all again in finals week.
56:16Yeah, great.
56:20Commiserations to Abby.
56:21You had some really strong dishes.
56:23I loved your BAFTA dessert.
56:24The flavours and the textures, and they were right up my street.
56:27And, you know, it's a tough kitchen in there, so you've done really well, and you should be proud of
56:30yourself.
56:31Simon, thank you so much for coming to be with us today.
56:34It's been a pleasure.
56:35And to judge these lovely chefs' food.
56:37Really great.
56:38And we'd love it if you'd come to the banquet.
56:40What?
56:41Yes.
56:42Oui, monsieur.
56:44Chefs, you've been absolutely wonderful.
56:47Beautiful work.
56:49Congratulations, chefs.
56:50Well done, guys.
56:50Well done, well done.
56:55Wild.
56:56Absolutely wild.
56:58I'm the head chef of a two-star restaurant in Kent, and this, you know, it is definitely comparable in
57:04terms of achievement, I'd say.
57:06I am actually feeling quite proud of myself, and that is not something I ever say.
57:12So, to get a ten for my starter is insane.
57:16Especially after, like, literally trying to listen to Akhtar and make those last-minute changes and just pulling it out
57:21of nowhere.
57:22Like, I'm in shock.
57:24I think, I mean, yeah, I really want to get to the banquet now.
57:27My wife and my kids have been so supportive and I can't wait to let them know and hopefully make
57:33them proud.
57:33I told you it was going to be an interesting day, didn't I?
57:36Yeah, it was.
57:37Do you know what?
57:37It was an interesting day.
57:39Clearly, skill sets in these two chefs have been fantastic.
57:42Of course.
57:42The role of the veteran mentor was never as clear as it was this week.
57:46Abby Starter scored very lowly at the beginning of the week and ended up scoring really high.
57:50Do you know what?
57:50Abby Starter, super tasty, deep, rich, thoughtful.
57:54Neither of those fish dishes were on point, on the money, and main courses were particularly the chicken dish.
58:01I really liked it.
58:01You really liked that mole sauce, didn't you?
58:02I did, and it did finish on desserts that were very good.
58:06Overall, it's been a good day.
58:08So, Josh, you know, if he looks back at the advice and the feedback that he's been given and maybe
58:13listen to some of the comments that have come back from the judging chamber today,
58:17that evolution process that he's been on, hopefully, when it comes to finals week, he's got some dishes that could
58:21be right up there.
58:22Come on, Josh.
58:23Come on, Josh.
58:25Congrats, mate.
58:27Have fun.
58:27Thank you very much.
58:28See you later.
58:29Well done.
58:30Commiserations.
58:31Perhaps you smashed it, mate.
58:32We want London and the South East at the banquet.
58:34There we go.
58:35Congrats, mate.
58:35Go all the way.
58:53Let's go.
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